Distributed natural gas storage system(s) using oil & gas & other well(s)

Abstract

The present invention revolves around the incorporation and use of existing drilled wells, either dry holes, abandoned or converted producing wells and / or new, to be drilled wells or any other well(s), of any diameter and any depth, located, sited, designed and fabricated to store and cycle compressed natural gas or other gasses or hydrocarbon liquids within the contained cavity of the well-bore casing in any volume and with any degree (high or low) of deliverability.Each of the well(s) can then be incorporated with additional facilities, depending upon designed use and process (use and process as discussed within the patent application), such as standard telemetry, automation and integration equipment, compressors, pressure reducing regulators, turbo-compressors (for electrical and or mechanical power creation), distributed power generator engines, measurement equipment and other components for compressing and storing the gas or hydrocarbon liquids within the system at a range of rates, and then cycling the gas out of the well(s) for a number of business applications. The well(s) can also be incorporated with standard electronic communication devices to automate and integrate them within other systems such that they can be controlled remotely and automatically from any location.

Description

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to the new use of drilled wells to store and cycle compressed natural gas or other gasses within a specifically designed system(s) whereby the compressed gas is contained within the cavity of the well-bore casing and not permitted to be forced through any well-bore casing perforations into the surrounding underground formation due to the fact that the cased well-bore is sealed at the lower end.Generally, oil & gas wells are usually drilled to significant depths (greater than 3,000 feet) and then plugged, if dry, or eventually abandoned once production of oil and / or gas stops.This invention revolves around the use of existing drilled well(s), either dry holes, abandoned or converted producing wells and / or new, to be drilled, well(s) or any other well(s) located, sited, designed, drilled and fabricated to store and cycle compressed natural gas or other gasses to and from the sealed well-bore, in any volume and rate a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This invention revolves around the use of existing drilled well(s), either dry holes, abandoned or converted producing wells and / or new, to be drilled, well(s) or any other well(s) located, sited, designed, drilled and fabricated to store and cycle compressed natural gas or other gasses to and from the sealed well-bore, in any volume and rate and with any degree (high or low) of deliverability for numerous industry and commercial purposes. Thus, the present invention relates to a new and unique natural gas storage and cycling system and process. There are literally hundred's of thousand's of oil & gas wells already in existence within the United States. For instance, since the first Drake well was drilled in Pennsylvania in 1859, approximately 325,000 wells have been drilled in Pennsylvania, approximately 70,000 wells in New York and approximately 1.1 million in Texas. Thus, there is excess capacity and this invention will put some of this excess capacity, with little to no current economic value to society, located throughout the United States and the World, back to better economic use. In fact, many of these wells are located near or within the delivery systems and the consumer. This will increase bottom line economics of the delivery system infrastructure across the board and mitigate adverse impacts on the environment associated with new construction.

FIG. 1 is a schematic, profile illustration of a typical drilled oil or gas well in which the well-bore has been fitted with a string of high pressure steel casing. The cased well-bore can also contain compressed gasses that can be cycled to and from the well-bore, hold and maintain significant high pressures, without loss, depending upon the yield strength of the steel casing fitted within the well-bore and the formation pressures acting on the steel casing at various depths.

Problems solved by technology

This places even greater demands on the delivery systems and results, at times, in penalties, curtailments, restrictions and general over-building of delivery systems and resulting environmental impacts.

Delivery system operators are currently attempting to expand through new construction and are developing new rate / cost structures to accommodate non-uniform hourly consumption.

These actions will only serve to increase costs and increase in-efficiencies.

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